Maya couldn't hold back her tears. Several nurses hugged her and cried along with her when Junho was pronounced dead. Everyone felt sorry for her and couldn't bear the pain of it. Sadly, a day that should have been happy had turned into grief in an instant.
Junho's dad looked resigned and tried to accept it all. After all, his son had been a good man who loved his family dearly. Perhaps God had decided that his love had filled his family's hearts enough, and it was time for him to return to his Creator.
The funeral would be held the following afternoon. That night, Maya watched as her husband's body was cleaned and placed in a casket. Their home was now flooded with wreaths and condolences. Naturally, this left both children shocked.
Junho's mom was even more hysterical. The last time she had hugged her son had been several months ago; after that, she had only kept her longing to herself because of the distance. Who could have known that, in the end, that longing would be left behind? The child she had given birth to had gone ahead of her. Of course, it wasn't easy to accept.
Luna was also filled with regret. If she had known that day would be the last time she was with her dad, she would have poured out all her love and kissed him every morning. She could still clearly remember refusing the hug and kiss her dad had asked for that morning. Luna sobbed as she hugged Kris.
Kris seemed more steadfast than anyone else. He had no regrets because he had always stayed by his dad's side whenever he had the time. The house was shrouded in grief, preserving the memories they had shared.
Junho's body had been placed in the casket, and his handsome face had returned, clean and pale. There was still a bruise on his head that had begun turning bluish purple.
“Dad, I'll stay with Junho until tomorrow. I don't mind if you go home first. Mom probably needs you,” Maya explained weakly.
“Sweetheart, please let Junho go. God must have another plan. Dad has always believed Junho was a good person. We have nothing to regret.”
Junho's dad tried to strengthen her resolve. Maya's tears continued to flow, even though she made no sound. She wanted to fill her eyes with the sight of Junho, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully. She promised to escort him to his final resting place calmly and wholeheartedly.
Maya's eyes were swollen. Outside the room where the body lay, many hospital staff waited just to offer her support and encouragement so she could stay strong through this tragedy. Without her realizing it, the day had changed, and someone was still waiting in front of the same room.
“Lay?” Maya called when she finally stepped out of the room.
“Yes, doctor,” Lay answered, his eyes puffy.
“You haven't gone home yet?” Maya asked softly, and Lay only shook his head. “All right. Would you like to see Junho one last time?” Maya gave him the chance. After all, her husband had been quite close to Lay over the past few years.
“If I'm allowed, may I, doctor?” Their eyes met, and Maya could see how sincere Lay's affection was for her husband as a friend. Maya nodded and gestured for him to go inside.
Lay opened the door to the room. Now there were only him and the late Junho inside. It still felt unbelievable. The last time they had met had been yesterday afternoon at a café. “Jun, am I really your little brother? Why is this sense of loss so overwhelming? We were only discussion and coffee buddies, right? So why does losing you feel this devastating?” Lay wiped away the tears falling down his cheeks.
“Who will comment on my bad habits now? Remind me to rest, eat, get some fresh air, play, and relax?” Lay let out a small laugh. “I never realized it, but you've been like an alarm for me all this time.”
“Come to think of it, I've never done anything for you, Jun. I loved listening to your advice, the way you commented on things and taught me lessons in such a simple way. Ah! Now I regret seeing you go!” Lay sobbed again, this time more openly. It felt like he was pouring out his heart.
The room was quite large, and only Junho and Lay were inside. While Lay was still struggling to let Junho go, a voice suddenly rang clearly in his ears.
“There is something you can do for me, Lay.”
“What is it, Jun? Tell me,” he replied before realizing that someone was speaking to him. The voice sounded just like Junho's. His eyes darted in every direction, searching for the source. He made sure the casket had not moved and was not breathing—indeed, it was ice-cold. Then where had the voice come from?
“Marry my wife, Lay,” he heard again. This time, the figure appeared right beside him.
Lay's eyes widened. The atmosphere turned horrifying as, with his own eyes, he saw Junho standing there normally, without a bruise and with a clean face. The only thing was, his feet did not touch the ground.
“Junho? Is that you?”